Leopold Kober’s Geosyncline Theory was one of the most influential pre-plate tectonic ideas. He identified three main elements: the “Geosyncline” (a sediment-filled depression), the “Kratogens” (rigid stable blocks) and the “Orogen” (the resulting mountain belt). According to Kober, as the rigid kratogens move toward each other, the sediments within the geosyncline are subjected to intense compressive forces. This “squeezing” effect folds the edges into marginal ranges, while the central portion may remain relatively flat, forming a “median mass” (like the Tibetan Plateau). This theory provided an early geographical framework for understanding the symmetrical structure of many mountain systems.